Washing machine



Feb. 4, 1941.

R. J. ANDERSON WASHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I'EF.E.

Filed Feb. 24, 1936 alto: may

Feb- 4, 1941 R J. ANDERSON WASHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 24, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 tutor/mug Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES WASHING MACHINE v Robert I. Anderson, Sidney, Ohio Application February 24, 1938, Serial No. 65,317

6 Claims.

clothes in the tub whereby every portion of that mass will be subjected to the bending and rub-' bing action. s

Another object of the invention is to provide a ramp or agitator which willoperate to redisl5 tribute the clothes continuously in bothvertical and horizontal arrangement and at the same time will efliciently bend and rub the portion of the clothes subjected-most directly to its action.

v Another object of the invention is to combine a ramp of the kind described with an oval tub whereby additional squeezing and washing action is exerted upon the clothes in the tub, while other advantages are ofiered by theshape oi the tub.

Other objects and details of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. I

In the accompanying drawingsformlng a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of apparatus embodying the invention, with portions broken away to illustrate the position of the rampiwithin the tub and some of the construction thereof; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the uncovered tub with a portion of the ramp in section; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the ramp; Fig. 4 is a topographical map of the ramp.

5 The machine illustrated in the drawings comprises a tub l0 having a cover II and supported upon a base l2. Suitable driving means, not shown, are provided for a shaft ll which projects 7 upward through the bottom of the tub. Upon 0 this shaft there is mounted a sleeve H which carries theramp i5. .This'ramp comprises a circular bottom IS with two rise'rsl'l thereon, which are identical and, therefore, but meat which need be described. Each of these risers has one approximately vertical face I8 preferably cupped as indicated at IS. The other side of the riser slopes down as indicated at 20. Preferably the riser is highest at :the center 21, of the ramp and the top of side It as well as of 20 slopes downward towards the shoulder 22 which rises nearly' perpendicular from the circular bottom It; On

sloping side 2|! there is a series of upwardly pro- 1 jecting curved rubbing surfaces 23 which re semble somewhat successively stood that the approximately vertical faces I.

V V gher hills in 8-- mountain range, while between this vand the center of the, ramp, there is a valley 24. The contour of the ramp is somewhat dimcult to describe accurately or illustrate fully by perspective and sectional views and, therefore, it has been shown in Fig. 4 in the form of a topographi- 5 cal map, the lines from I" to 8" indicating successive elevations. v

It will be noted from Fig, 2 that the tub III is considerably longer one way than the other. so that the tub has an oval shape. This has certain to advantages which will be described in connection with the operation oi the machine.

It will be readily understood that shaft i8 may be oscillated by any usual or suitable mechanism. While the magnitude of the oscillation l5 may be varied while retaining many of the advantages of the invention, it is preferred to move the ramp during each oscillation somewhat more than 180, 215 as indicated on Fig. 2 being a very suitable distance for the movement of the ramp. I

Presuming the ramp to be in the position in which it is indicated in Fig. 2 and to start in an anti-clockwise directiomit will be readily underwill have a tendency to give a rotational movement to the water and clothes in the tub in this anti-clockwise direction. A very considerable movement is thus imparted to the contents of the tub by the. oscillation of the. ramp-through 215 or thereabouts. Upon the return movement of the ramp in a clockwise-direction throughout the same arc, it will be readily understood that, at the start of the movement, the continued momentum of the water and clothes tends to drag the clothes up over rubbing projections}! and over the slope between points II and 22. This slope between points it and 22 may be made a smooth curved ridge, but preferably is rendered somewhat wavy as indicated most clearly 'upon Fig. 4. It will be readily understood that, as the clothes are thus dragged up over projections .13, they will be given a wavy bending motion which asists in the movement of the threads of cloth giving at the same time a bending action and a slight rubbing action upon the cloth. Likewise, when the goods'reach the slope between points It and 22 they are dragged down over that slope by the suction created by hollow II. .and this fairly sharp bending is accompanied 59 with a rubbing action over the slope. I As stated, when the return or clockwise motion isstarted, the momentum oijthe water and clothes'carry them up over the sloping sides". As this momentum lessens. the movementot the 55 ramp in the clockwise direction continues to move the slope past the water and clothes, so that the action of the-relative movement of water and clothes to the ramp continues throughout this oscillation of the ramp. Thereuponrthe ramp is again oscillated in the anti-clockwise direction, once more imparting motion to the water and clothes in the tub. Of course, the clockwise motion of the ramp materially lessens the movement of the water and clothes in the anti-clockwise direction and under some circumstances may even bring it to rest so that. when the anti-clockwise movement of the ramp is started, it may result in the inertia of the water cltohes from pockets it over the slope between i point 2| 'and points 22'; but for the most part. the movement of the ramp in the anti-clockwise direction is effective to impart movement of the water and clothes while the greater part of the washing action is effected during the clockwise movement of the ramp, and the resultant relative movement of the clothes with respect to the ramp.

While the major washing result is believed to flow from the vertical movement of the clothes by the risers on the ramp, it is found that the oval shape of the tubis advantageous. probably because it ,results in some horizontal alternate stretching and squeezing of the clothes as they move from the short radius to the long radius and vice verse. The shape of the ramp is such that :the clothes will readily slide up the surface if any" considerable amount is ca fl t between shoulder 22 and the wall at the shorter diameterpso that no objectionable jamming results. At the same time sumcient action does result to aid in the washing of the clothes. It will be obvious that this willhave an effect in redistributing the clothesaswellasinimpartingabendingand squeezing action thereto.

As indicated above, itis believed that the major portion of the washing action is imparted by the relative movement of the clothes over the sloping sidesjl of the ramp. but it should be pointed out thattheverticalsides l8 perform'theirfunction not only in impartim momentum to the water andclothesinthetubsoastoeffectsaidrelative movement between the clothes and the. sloping sidesoftheramp,but alsoduringthereturn movent the vertical sides ll play their part in suchng the clothes downward over the slopes from point to shoulders a. cupped portions ilaidinthissuckingactionandassistincausing theclothestohugtherampsothattherampcan continuously operate effectively thereon.

Itwillbereadilyseenthat,whi leoneform.of

the rampjhas been shown and in fairly.

detail. considerable variation in theoonstructioncanbemadewithinthescopeof this invention. The broadest objectiveis the formationoftherampwithrlsersarrangedsosnewhst ,in the ratchet form, so that the oscillation of'the produce rotational the water and clothes than doeathemovenientoftherampintheotherdirectionandtherehproducedaoonstantrotation -ofth ewaterandclotheswithrespecttotheramp, eachoomplete oscillation of theramp thusoperatimuponadiiferentsectionoftheclothes. Al-

portions are brousht into direct contact with the and the clothes causing some dragging up of the I I ward from the center towards the circumference v ramp in one direction operates more eflectively-to ramp. Theovalshapeofthetubhasafm'ther eflectinvaryingthehorisorntal distributionofthe clothes, as indicated above. The combination of these different effects very effectually redisl tributes the clothes in every direction so that all portions of the contents of the tub are thorough lysubjectedtotheactionoftherampandthe: washing and cleansing effect is produced upon the entire contents of the tub. 10

Theovalshapeofthetubisalsoaconvenience from the standpoint of the operator, since it enables the operator, standing opposite the shorter radius, to approach more nearly the of the tub than could be done with a round tub of thesame capacity. which is'neceasary in reaching for theclothesto' lift them out and present them to the wringer or What I claim is: m i. A ramp for a washing machinegand means to oscillate the ramp, the ramp comprising a,sub-. stantially cylindrical base and risers from the base. each riser having one face approximately perpendicular to the base with an undercut socket '5 therein, and having the other face sloping upward from the base towards the top of the riser, there being a depression or valley in said other faceextending substantially the entire length thereof. I

2. An oscillatable ramp for a washing machine, said ramp having a substantially circular base being highest at the center and sloping downfrom the sloping surface, the successively higher projections being nearer the circumference of vthe ramp and there being a depression between these projections-and the center of the ramp extending substantially the-length of the sloping surface of 3. A washingmachlne comprising a tub oval in cross-section and a ramp 'mounted oscillatably so inthecenterbfthetub, saidrampha'vingrisers thereon. each riser having one face approximately vertical and having a depression between theoenteroftheramp andthecircumference thereof.- theother .face sloping upwardly to the es top of the riser.

4. A washing machine comprising a .tub oval in cross-section and a ramp mounted oscillatably in the oenterof thetub, said ramp having risers 'thereomtherisershavingtheirfacestowardsone 00 to oscillate the ramp, the ramp comprising a substantially cylindrical baseand risers from the base, the risers being highest at the center of the base, each riser having one face approximately perpendicular to the base and having the other face sloping upward from the base to the top of the riser and having a depression between the.

center of the ramp and the circumference thereof, and the outer-surface of said other face sloping downwardly to saidbase, and an undercut socket in each perpendicular face.

ROBERT J. ANDERSON. 

